W.G. Snuffy Walden

In his four-hour interview, W.G. Snuffy Walden outlines his career as a composer. He describes his childhood in Texas, learning to play instruments, and getting very interested in music during his senior year of high school. He discusses several bands of which he was a member (The Showmen, PSY123, Aphrodite, Stray Dog) and recalls his first time touring. Walden openly discusses his struggles with drug and alcohol abuse, quitting music for a time, and returning to music and playing for film and television. He tells of his first composition for television - for thirtysomething - and talks about his ongoing relationship with creators Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskowitz, for whom Walden also composed on My So-Called Life, Quarter Life, and Once and Again. He details composing for The Wonder Years, Sisters, and I'll Fly Away, and speaks of his relationship with Aaron Sorkin and composing for Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and The West Wing. Walden also describes his writing process, what his studio space is like, and talks of working with a live orchestra. He comments on composing for several TV movies and miniseries, including Winne, Roe v. Wade, and The Outsiders. He touches on the differences between composing for sitcoms and dramas (he composed for The Drew Carey Show, Roseanne, and George Lopez, among others) and demonstrates a few of his compositions - including "Winnie's theme" from The Wonder Years and the theme to The West Wing. Stephen J. Abramson conducted the interview on April 10, 2008 in Los Angeles, CA.